Spool-carrier for braiding-machines



(No Model.)

J. E. LEE.

SPOOL CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MAGHINBS. No. 478,341. Patented July 5, 1892'.

F B. T E- WITNESSES:

@W M d ATTORNEYS UNITE-p'STATEs I PATENT Ormcs.

JOHN ELLIVOOD LEE, OF CONSI-IOHOGKEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPOOL-CARRIER FOR BRAlDlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,341, dated July 5, 1892. Application filed Pebruary 27.1891. Serial No. 383,118. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that 1, JOHN ELLWooD LEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oonshohocken, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Spool-Carrier for Braiding-Ma; chines, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The object of my invention is to so construct the traveling spool-carriers or thread-carriers of braiding-machines as to simplify and facilitate the manipulation and operation of the braiding-machine, particularly in narrowing or widening operations, and also for the formation of selvage openings, where desired,in the tubes being braided. This object I attain by making the carrier in two parts readily detachable from each other, so that the thread-carrying part may be quickly removed from or replaced upon the traveling part without removing the latter from the guiding-grooves of the race plate or plates.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a a side view of a carrier of ordinary construction. Fig. 2 is a side view of one form of my improved carrier.- Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same, but with the spool, catch, and tension-weight removed. Fig. 4 is a view of my improved spool or thread carrier corresponding with Fig. 2, but showing the thread or spool carrier part detached from the traveler end of the device. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the upper part of my two-part carrier, drawn to a larger scale; and Fig. 6 is a perspective View, to the same scale, of the traveler part, from which the upper part has been detached.

Referring to Fig. 1, which shows an ordinary form of thread or spool carrier for a braiding-machine, B is the spool, mounted to turn upon the spindle S, carried by the traveler part T, which is adapted to run in the grooves of the race-plate. A post P carries the movable tension-weight E for the thread and also the stop-catch Ffor the notched top of the bobbin.

I may here state that while I have shown my improvements as applied to this style of carrier, as hereinafter described, I do not wish to restrict myself to any special style of construction, as the details may be varied without departing from my invention.

In operating a machine having the ordi- -nary carriers with which I am acquainted it is customary to provide'for'the narrowing operation by periodically stopping the machine, breaking one or more -ends,= and wrapping each loose end around the top of its carrier, and then rest-artingthe machine to go on braiding with a reduced number of threads. Similarly, in widening,the machine has to be stopped and threads from additional spools connected up. These operations are somewhat tedious, and in order'to make them less so, and also for a further purpose explained hereinafter, I construct the thread or spool carrier in two parts readily detachable from and attachable to each other. One part is that which carries the spool or thread, (and stopcatch and tension-weight where these parts are used, as above described,) while the other part is the lower traveler end of the carrier, which travels in the grooved race-plate of the machine.

Any convenient form of attaching means may be provided between the two parts, and I do not wish to restrict myself to any particular means; but I have found in practice that the connecting devices illustrated in Figs.

2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are suitable for the purpose.

In the construction illustrated the lower trav- 8o eler part T is provided on its upper side with an undercut groove If and a notch t on one side thereof. The under side of the upper detachable part T :is provided with an undercut tongue p,'aclapted to fit into the un- 8 5 dercut groove t of the traveler part T and a spring-catch p, carried by this tongue, is adapted to engage with the notch i when the two parts are fitted, so as to lock them together, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. By pressing on the projecting end of this springcatch, however, the thread or spool carrying part can be readily detached from the traveler part T Thus in the narrowing operation when it is desired toreduce the number 5 of threads the machine is stopped and the corresponding thread or spool carrying parts detached from their respective traveler parts and lifted out and above the braid. In practice it has been found that this is amuch 10o quicker Way of manipulating than by the old method above described. Furthermore, I can with my improved two-part carrier accomplish an important object which was not possible with the old form of irremovable thread or spool carrier-namely, Where it is desired to form a selvage opening in a braided tube the machine provided with my carriers is repeatedly stopped as the carriers successively come to a certain point Where they would ordinarily pass each other. The spool or thread carrying part of each of the meeting carriers is removed from its lower traveling part and is transferred to the traveling part of the other carrier going in the opposite direction, so that at this point each successive thread in the braiding will be turned back, as it were, to be carried back in the opposite direction from that in which it was traveling, and a sel- 

